Hame-fastener.



A 91925651.. I l

AC; GlfGERLAGH. A YHAME FASTENEB. f/ f APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1910.

Patented May 16, 1911.

Q Z. Jrx W Arron/vers CLARENCE GzARELD` GERLACH, OF VERSAILLES, OHIO.

HAME-FASTENER.

Application led September 10, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911. Serial No. 581,353.

Totali whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE. G. GER- LACH, a .citizen of the United States, and a resident of Versailles, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Hame- Fasteners, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention is an improvement in hame fasteners, and consists incertain novel constructions, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. Y

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a front View of a portion of the llames with the fastener in place, and F ig. 2 is abottom plan view of the fastener.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a lever 1, having at one end a substantially semicircular hook 2, which is adapted to engage the ring 3 of one of the liames 4. rlhe body of the lever is reduced in width with respect to the width of the hook, and the end remote from the hook is curved laterally at 5 in the same direction as the hook. f

A plate 6 is doubled upon itself to form a bearing 7 at one end, and the doubled plate is notched centrally at the said end to form a recess 8 for receiving the body of the lever.

A pin 9 is passed through the bearing'and the lever, and is headed at each end to hold it in place. A double strap 10 of flexible material, preferably rawhide is superposed on one side of the plate and the strap is secured to the plate by a rivet 11. The rivet passes through both the thickness of the strap and of the plate, and secures the four thicknesses together. The strap 10 is passed through the ring 12 of the other hame 13 and is held in place by the following mechanism. A plate 14 is doubled upon itself to form a bearing` 15 atv one end, and a pin 16 extends laterally from the plate at the opposite end. A loop 17 is journaled in the bearing, and the plate, loop and pin form a buckle, the pin acting as the tongue.

The strap 10 is, as before stated, passed through the ring 12 of the ha-me ring and through the loop 17, which is rect-angular in shape and of a size to fit the strap closely, yet slidable therein and with suflicient room to permit the loop to take the position shown in Fig. A1. The tongue 16 is passed through one of a series 18 of openings in the strap to hold the buckle in adjusted posi-y tion. The plate 14 and the strap are encircled by a loop 19, slidable between the pin or tongue 16 and the loop 17.

The tongue 16 by its engagement with one of the series of openings, prevents longitudinal movement of the buckle on the strap, and the loop 19, when moved downwardly on the strap and plate toward the tongue prevents movement of the strap laterally from the face of the plate 14, to disengage the tongue. When the loop is moved up- `wardly toward the bearing 15, the tongue may be disengaged by moving the strap laterally.

After the hook of the lever is disengaged from the haine, the buckle will lie lat on the strap 10 and can then be moved ,toward the end of the strap with the tongue in engagement with one of the lower holes leaving the lbuckle ready for use when the llames are again used and preventing its loss from the haines.

W hen it is desired to secure the hames'in place, the hook 2 is engaged with the ring 3 of the haine 4, it being understood that the fastener is connected only with the ring 12 of the hame 13 ordinarily, that is, when not in use. When the hook 2 is so engaged, the ring 19 is pushed upwardly toward the bearing 15 and the ring 17 to permit the tongue 16 to be disengaged from the openings 18 of the strap. The strap 10 is now grasped in one hand and the plate 14, ring 15 and ring 19 together with the ring 12 of the hame 13 are held firmly while traction is exerted on the strap 10 toward the operator. The hame rings 3 and 12 are thus drawn toward each other until the haines are tight on the collar. Vhen sufficiently tight, the strap 10 is released, the other hand meanwhile holding the plate firmly against the strap 1() to prevent the hame ring 12 slipping outwardly on the strap, and while so held the tongue 16 is engaged with one of the openings 18. The ring 19 is then moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, thus locking the hames in tightened position.

Vhen it is desired to release the haines, the above operation "may be reversed,'or if there is sufficient slack the end 5 of the lever 1 may be moved to the right of Fig. 1, thus swinging the hook 2 out of engagement with the ring 3. It is obvious that some .slack must obtain and especially after the harness has been in use for sometime. The strain on the hames would tend to loosen them to some extent.

The device Will be placed on the market as an independent fastening device, and will also be sold With the hames. The fastener is practically indestructible With ordinary care, and by its use, the hames may be secured in place in a minimum of time.

I claim z l. A hame fastenecomprising a plate having at one enda central notch, a strap secured to the plate and extending in the opposite direction from the notch, said strap having a longitudinal series of openings, a buckle comprising a plate having at one end a bearing and at the other end a lateral tongue for engaging one of the openings, a loop Journaled 1n the bearing and encircling the strap, a loop encircling the plate and strap and slidable thereon, and a lever pivoted intermediate its ends in the notch of the first named plate, said lever having at one end a hook for engaging the haine, and at the other end a laterally curved portion extending in the same direction as the hook and forming a linger piece for convenience in manipulating the lever.

2. A haine fastener comprising a plate, a strap secured by one end to the plate, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the other end of the plate, said lever having at one end a hook for engaging a hame ring and at the other a laterally curved portion extending in the same direction as the hook, a buckle movable on the strap, and a loop journaled on the buckle and encircling the strap.

3. A hame fastener comprising a plate, a strap secured to the plate at one end, a lever pivoted to the other end of the plate and provided with a hook for engaging one haine ring, and a buckle adjustable on the strap for engaging the outer face of the other hame ring and provided with means for clamping the strap to prevent movement of the buckle.

4. A hame fastener comprising a plate, a strap secured to the plate at one end, a lever pivoted to the other end of the plate and provided With a hook for engaging one haine ring, and means adjustable on the strap for engaging the outer face of the other haine ring to prevent movement of the strap through the ring.

CLARENCE GARELD GERLACH.

itnesses C. L. HALE, C. F. LYoNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

